And the Years Go By
by Sheeana797
Summary: The old woman sits, watching her village – no, his village – and remembers. Lots of spoilers. Eventual SasuNaru, NaruSaku, SasuSaku, NaruSasuSaku.
1. Prologue

Title: And the Years Go By  
Rating: PG-13 for swearing, violence, etc.  
Pairing: Eventual SasuNaruSasu, SasuSaku, NaruSaku, NaruSasuSaku, and possibly others too  
Characters: Pretty much everyone. Focus is on Team 7.  
Warnings: Spoilers for timeskip, Kakashi Gaiden, all anime episodes, basically everything except the very newest manga chapters.  
Summary: The old woman sits, watching her village – no, _his_ village – and remembers.

Prologue

An old woman sits on her porch, gazing out at the village. The children are running this way; they probably want more stories. She chuckles.

The old woman has lived in this house for a very long time. She remembers moving in – bright, young, full of hope – and moving out – dimmed, to some degree – and then moving back in again. Throughout the years the house has fallen into disrepair, though it doesn't bother her much. The cracked, off-white paint on the window shutters has always been and will always remain the same paint that _they_ painted on, so many years ago (and yet only yesterday, she muses). Her hair has since faded to grey, and her skin is wrinkled, but her eyes still hold the same light as that young girl with a crush.

The village seems somewhat subdued today. Perhaps because it is the anniversary of the day when the Nine-Tails…but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that the hospital doesn't need her today, and so it is effectively a day off. She is free to tell her stories for hours on end, today.

She watches the children race up the hill towards her. They'll want to know all about the amazing things she has done and people she has met. They'll want to know about the eternally scowling boy who betrayed them all, and his legendary best friend, and her, the silly girl who always seemed a step behind.

The years have rendered the powerful emotions associated with those people to a gentle sort of remembrance. She no longer awakes gasping from the shock of her memories. Her die have been cast, her mistakes have been made, her people have moved on. To the children, they are merely renowned names written in stone, but to her, they are her most precious people and she holds them close to her even now.

The sky darkens as clouds filter out the sunlight. The old woman watches from her vantage point as the people of her village prepare for the coming storm. _In the way that they always have_, she thinks, _in the way that they always must._

When the children reach the top of the hill, it has begun to rain. They look at her expectantly. She smiles at them in her motherly way and herds them indoors. When they are finally all seated on the floor, she kneels patiently in front of them.

"We want more stories!" a boy says, as expected.

"Yes, more stories," a girl agrees.

"Please," they beg so sweetly, and she can't withstand such an assault.

And so she tells them.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The day after Sasuke left the village for the second time, Sakura cried. She ran to the highest place she could find and just cried into the sky. Five hours later, it was Naruto who finally found her there, her cheeks still wet from the tears.

"So…um…" he said in an awkward way that didn't suit him.

She turned and smiled at him. He sat next to her wordlessly.

Later, much later, when the sky was dark, he walked her home.

The next day they walked out of their darkened apartments into an unknown village. Everything seemed changed, different somehow, as though overnight their familiar surroundings had morphed into an alien world. The villagers' curious glances became sharp and searching. The soft, sympathetic words from their comrades suddenly sounded bitter and accusing.

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Sakura made her way to the store, feeling as though she was being interrogated. She bought her usual meager food supply, enough to last until next week, smiled blankly at the cashier, and returned home. When she opened the door, she was unsurprised to see her former jounin teacher sitting on her couch. Not much frightened her anymore.

"Yo," Kakashi greeted.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei. What brings you here today?" She knew exactly why he was there, but she was unable to speak about that particular issue just yet.

"I got lost on the path of life…" he replied slowly, "and then there was this old woman who needed help, and I…"

For once, Sakura allowed it.

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Colors swirled together as an orange figure whirled past, green fading onto green while he was only a tiny dot amidst the vast forest. Faster, faster, until everything narrowed down to the jump from one branch to the next, and nothing else existed.

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Two weeks later, the three of them stood before the gates which bore a cracked fan, in the emptiest part of their village. The only sound while Naruto opened them was the creak of hinges that hadn't been oiled in far too long. They walked the silent streets together, and each thought the same thing: _we should have done this so long ago_.

When they reached Sasuke's house, Kakashi carefully sidestepped and deactivated the traps while Sakura dispelled the myriad illusions and wards. Naruto finally gently pushed open the door.

Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. He'd left two weeks ago, but clearly he hadn't been using most of his house for much longer than that. Sakura walked over to the kitchen table. It was also covered in dust, except for one small area where Sasuke had eaten every day, probably since before the massacre of his family.

"Well…" said Kakashi heavily, "Let's get to work."

As Sakura cleaned Sasuke's house, she felt only numbness that began in her head and spread to the tips of her toes. She worked methodically, never stopping to think about the memories behind each item.

The three members of the legendary team cleaned together for a time. Naruto was oddly quiet that day.

When Sakura and Kakashi heard a quiet, strangled _noise_, they looked over to see Naruto holding the kunai he'd found under the pillow and the shuriken he'd found under the mattress. He was clutching them so hard they were cutting into his skin; the blood ran down his closed fists and dripped onto the floor.

He shook silently, angrily, knowing he could never be Hokage like this, and swore again a thousand times over to bring his best friend home once more.

No one bothered to clean up the blood on the floor; there was too much blood in this place for it to make any difference.

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Sai, in an odd moment of social competence, understood why he wasn't invited on the outing to the Uchiha compound. He was waiting for Naruto when his teammate returned with a steaming bowl of ramen and a cup of hot tea. Sai offered no explanation for his presence in Naruto's home, and Naruto asked for none.

Naruto sat at his worn, battered table. One of its legs had recently come off, the result of too many years of use. Sakura, ever practical, had told him to buy a new table. Iruka had offered to help re-attach it. Sasuke hadn't said anything, but he'd shown up at Naruto's house carrying a stack of old, dusty books to use for propping it up.

Wordlessly, Sai placed the food in front of him. Naruto ate the ramen and sipped at the tea compliantly. Neither spoke a word that night, but Sai didn't leave until after the sun peeked over the horizon.

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Sakura showed up that day at Naruto's apartment with an empty laundry basket.

"No, Sakura, you aren't taking my clothes-!" Naruto yelped as Sakura wrestled the last of his shirts from him.

"You can't go on like this Naruto! Just because Sasuke's gone-"

"Shut up! I'm not doing _anything_-"

"That's right! You _aren't doing anything_! You haven't even done your laundry since before he left! You're starting to smell, you never brush your hair, I don't know when was the last time you bathed-"

"Shut up!" Naruto almost roared.

"No! I won't just sit around and watch you _destroy_ yourself this time!" Sakura's cheeks were flushed in anger. The forgotten basket had fallen to the floor; the clothes lay strewn haphazardly around it.

Naruto paled when he remembered the Nine-Tails, _becoming_ the Nine-Tails, and what he'd almost done to Sakura. The two stared at each other for awhile. Finally Naruto dropped to his knees and gathered up the scattered clothes.

Sakura's mouth curled up into a small, relieved smile. It was unsettling when Naruto became so quiet; he was always meant to be loud.

He accompanied her to the laundromat, talking noisily about how hungry he was all the way there.

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Naruto never enjoyed being in Tsunade's office at the crack of dawn for personal mission assignment. It was made worse now that the village council stared icily at him as he walked past, as if _he_ had been the one to taint their perfect Uchiha heir.

"I'm not going!" he yelled at Tsunade, "I have to go get Sasuke back-"

"No," she retorted sharply, coldly. "You will go on the mission that is necessary to our village."

"Look here, old lady-"

"Naruto," Neji interrupted mildly, "You do want to become the Hokage, don't you?"

"Of course!"

"Then you should learn to do what's best for the village, shouldn't you?"

Naruto thought about that for a minute. "Fine!" he replied sullenly, "But as soon as I get back I'm gonna go get the bastard and bring him home again!"

"He isn't going to stay, Naruto," Tsunade told him gently, with a touch of underlying sadness. "He chose to leave again, and this time there wasn't any Orochimaru."

"I'm _going_ to bring him home, old lady."

Naruto grabbed the mission scroll and stalked out of the room. Neji followed, thoughtful.

They set out several hours afterward. Neji was, as usual, waiting at the gates to the village for almost half an hour before Naruto decided to show up.

"Eheh…I was hungry, and Ichiraku was right there…" he explained sheepishly, grinning.

That afternoon, Neji was the one who noticed the slight rustling in the bushes while they were walking.

"Naruto!" he yelled.

Naruto ducked, and two kunai sailed above his head, hitting a tree next to him. He whistled.

"Close one!"

He and Neji placed themselves back-to-back, waiting for the culprits to show themselves. They didn't have to wait very long; a few seconds later two ninja appeared from the foliage, all in black and masked.

"You're from the Leaf? This should be easy," they laughed.

Naruto grinned ruthlessly back at them.

"Easy for us, maybe!" he shouted.

The first masked ninja lunged at Neji, shuriken appearing in his hands. They whistled through the air; Neji's arms came up and he blocked them with a kunai.

The second ninja's hands began to move, forming seals rapidly. Naruto frowned.

"Hey! What's he doing?!"

"I don't know, I don't have time to watch right now!" Neji snapped irritably, locked in place by a man with a very, very sharp kunai.

Naruto hmph-ed. Glancing back at the second ninja, he suddenly heard a screeching noise that thrust him to his knees. He clutched his ears and screamed.

"Naruto?!"

Neji activated his byakugan and threw his opponent off him, sending a kunai after him. He turned to see Naruto curled up on the ground, holding his head and moaning in pain.

"Naruto dammit get up!" Neji whirled around and shielded himself as the man he'd thrown aside dived at him again, blood streaming from the shoulder where Neji's kunai had found its mark. "Naruto!"

Naruto's vision swam. _Neji was fighting…a man…no…a woman…no, three men…wait… _and then he blacked out.

Neji cursed and readied himself to use Juuken.

"Eight strokes…sixteen strokes…sixty-four strokes…!" His hands flew as each blow landed on a chakra point. The masked ninja crumpled, coughing blood. Neji allowed himself a cold, satisfied smile and once again turned to Naruto. He wasn't moving.

The second masked ninja approached Naruto, laughing hollowly.

"You're dead, kid," he told Naruto's unconscious form.

Naruto twitched, and then pulled himself onto his feet slowly, coughing.

"H-how? He should be…." Their opponent's eyes widened.

Naruto grinned ferally.

"I can't die right now. I still have to beat some sense into that bastard!"

Neji could only watch as Naruto's chakra swirled around him, gathering together. His friend threw himself at their enemy, smiling dangerously, a hint of _something_ in his eyes, and thrust a bluish ball of spinning chakra forward. Neji knew he'd seen those eyes somewhere before. Naruto's rasengan impacted, flinging its target backwards ten paces into a tree. Naruto simply watched as the tree cracked under the force; it wavered for a moment, and then toppled to the ground. He turned and walked away. There would be no need to confirm that death.

Suddenly Neji realized why he recognized Naruto's eyes. He saw them every morning from his bedroom window, hewn into the cliff and watching over their village.

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Sitting at their small fire, as the wolves howled all around them, Neji watched Naruto happily eating his first warm meal in several days.

"Naruto…do you honestly believe Uchiha will listen to you?" Neji demanded, over Naruto's slurping sounds. It had been bothering him for awhile now; Naruto spouted idealistic words without understanding that Sasuke just wasn't coming back.

"Mmf…mmf mmf mmf!" Naruto gestured wildly and then swallowed. "I don't care _what_ that asshole thinks, he's coming home whether he likes it or not! I promised Sakura before, and it still counts, and since I _never_ go back on my word, he can shove all that revenge crap up his ass!"

Neji regarded him with an incredulous stare.

"He's tried to kill you countless times. He's made it very clear he doesn't care about you, and he's not loyal to our village-"

Naruto's glare turned cold.

"I'll bring the idiot home even if I have to break every bone in his body – and every bone in mine."

Neji frowned. The things Naruto said were ridiculous. Then he allowed himself a small smile. He didn't understand why, but he believed every word.

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As the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, Naruto and Neji returned to Konoha. Neji tiredly offered to take the mission report to Tsunade; he knew that Naruto had somewhere to be right now.

Naruto went to visit Jiraiya as the sunset began.

"Perverted Hermit," he greeted.

The sun's dying rays danced over the stone as the lone young man laughed and loudly recounted his mission.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_The children, _Sakura thinks tiredly as they leave her house, _are really Konoha's most vital asset_. She regrets being unable to teach them that one most important aspect of being a ninja: experience. More than half will die before they reach thirty, she knows. It is a sad truth in a ruthless world.

She makes herself a cup of tea, sighing heavily. Soon this batch will become genin, and then the cycle will begin again – learning, dying, teaching, dying.

She tastes her tea; it is too bitter. Stirring in sugar, she watches as the last raindrops fall, the sun breaking through the clouds. Soon the droplets clinging to the grass will dry, soaked up by an eternal, relentless force. _Naruto_, she thinks wryly, smiling. Crashing into others' lives, never stopping to think or ask for permission, he was always something like the sun. She can still feel his presence in Konoha; it is the warmth retained by the stones, the light reflected in each villager's eyes. He'll never truly leave this village.

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Sakura's morning begins with a trip to the Ninja Academy. She watches the children playing in front of it, recalling fondly her own days as a student. The voices have changed, but the sound of children laughing is the same. Iruka would have been proud to see that his school has been improved over the years. The Sixth and Seventh Hokages have poured their heart and soul into creating a better future for the children of Konoha.

"Riki-chan, give it back!" A small boy runs past Sakura.

"Come get it then!"

"You're not fair!"

"Ninja don't have to be fair!"

Riki chases the boy around Sakura.

"_Please buy me some ramen, Sakura-chan!"_

"_Go away, Naruto!"_

"_Please?"_

"_No!"_

The children laugh innocently.

"_He's dying Sakura!"_

"_Dammit, I know that!"_

"_Do something!"_

"_I can't!"_

Sakura deftly plucks the toy dog from the boy's hands. They spin around to look up at her.

"You two be nice to each other," she scolds in a gentle voice, "Remember that teamwork is the key to success for a ninja!"

Suddenly she can almost see Kakashi again, his lips moving with the same words under his mask.

The children frown until they realize who is talking to them. Their faces fill with awe.

"We will!" they earnestly promise, running on their way at the sound of the morning bell. This morning they'll have something to brag about; _Haruno Sakura_ gave them advice!

An old swing still stands in one corner of the schoolyard. The wood is weathered, and the ropes holding the seat are worn in many places. Sakura approaches it. She knows the children avoid it. It seems somehow too lonely to touch. She slides her hand gently down the fraying rope.

"Sakura-sama." One of the teachers jars her from her thoughts.

"Ah!" She turns around.

"Is everything alright, Sakura-sama?" He sounds concerned. Everyone has been worried about her since Naruto died, it seems.

"Of course!" she laughs. "Nothing to worry about."

"If you're certain…"

"I am."

"Then might I invite you into the school?"

Sakura nods, following him inside. He walks slowly, as if he's afraid she is too frail. _Ha_, her inner voice scoffs. She speeds up, and he nearly has to run to keep up with her. She hides her smile.

They end up in a doorway, looking into an empty classroom. Sunlight drapes over the desks, each one riddled with marks from the children.

"_Iruka-sensei…I don't understand!"_

"_Naruto, I've explained it eight times. Why don't you ever listen?"_

"_I _was_ listening…I just don't get it!"_

"I_ get it, loser."_

"_Shut up asshole!"_

"_Boys!"_

"-kura-sama…Sakura-sama?"

"Oh! What is it?" She smiles sheepishly; she gets too lost sometimes.

"Are you certain you're alright?"

"Yes. I was just thinking."

"Ah…this is your old classroom, isn't it?"

"That's right."

"Umino Iruka…what was he like? I've heard so much…"

"He…really cared about his kids," Sakura explains, choosing her words carefully. "I'm sure you know…he would have died to protect them."

"Everyone knows that," he chuckles. "You were there, weren't you?"

"I was."

"_Run!" The ground shook, rocks crumbling from the ceiling and falling to the floor._

"_Iruka-sensei!" the children screamed._

"_Come on, we have to run, okay?" Iruka smiled reassuringly at them._

"_But…"_

"_This cave is going to collapse. We have to run. Don't worry, I'm right behind you!" He pushed the children down the tunnel, towards the exit._

"_We're gonna die!" Tears poured down the little girl's cheeks._

"_No, we won't. I promise." Sakura took her hand. "Iruka-sensei's right though, we have to leave." She picked up the girl and headed swiftly for safety. Once outside, she herded all the children away from the cave's entrance._

"_Iruka-sensei!" A piercing scream came from within._

_Sakura raced towards it. She stopped abruptly at the scene in front of her. Iruka was lying underneath the fallen rocks, blood dripping off his chin as he coughed. Two boys were huddled against the nearby wall._

_Fighting to stay calm, Sakura lifted the rocks off her former teacher._

"_Follow me!" she ordered. Escaping the cave with Iruka and the boys as it finally collapsed, she laid him on the ground and examined his injuries. The children sobbed fearfully behind her. _

"_Sakura…" Iruka coughed. "The kids…are they…"_

"_They're all here. Don't worry." She smiled bravely, but she trembled. The wounds were too much. His organs had been crushed. There was no way to save him. "Iruka-sensei, I…"_

"_I know," he managed, blood bubbling from his lips. "Take care of Naruto…okay?"_

_She nodded once, biting her lip. _

"-is it true that he was friends with the Sixth Hokage?" the teacher is asking.

"_Sakura-chan! You're back! I heard there was an attack! Are all the kids okay!" Naruto stood up at his desk when she entered._

"_They're fine." Sakura told him wearily. "But Naruto…Iruka-sensei…he…"_

"_What?" The color drained from Naruto's face. "You're not saying-"_

"_I'm sorry," she whispered brokenly. "I'm so, so sorry. There was nothing I could do." She finally allowed herself to cry, then._

Sakura remembers thinking that the grief she felt must have been nothing compared to what Naruto felt. He'd just lost the closest thing he'd ever had to a parent. She'd never asked him about it, though. Too much had been left unsaid between her and her teammates.

"Were they friends, Sakura-sama?" the teacher asks again.

"Something like that," she tells him, smiling.

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Evening falls as Sakura returns home. She passes by a market stand. A small sign declares "Flowers for Sale".

"I'll take that one." She points at a yellow rose.

"Here you go!" The shopkeeper beams.

Taking her flower, she makes her way to the bridge. She leans on the railing, staring down at her reflection in the water. Slowly she plucks a petal from the rose, letting it fall gently to land on the water's surface. One by one, each of the petals drifts down to join the first.

Sakura waits until the current carries them away before leaving.


End file.
